The word history of “True”: Old English trēowe, trȳwe ‘steadfast, loyal’; related to Dutch getrouw, German treu, also to truce.

And, to create a meaning-circle, “Truce”: Middle English trewes, trues (plural), from Old English trēowa, plural of trēow ‘belief, trust’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch trouw and German Treue, also to true.

So, basically, to be “True” means to have steadfastness, loyalty, belief, and trust…

Four words that any “self-respecting” fiction story should attempt to live up to.

Mark Twain: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”

Stephen King: “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”

Albert Camus: “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”

So…

Many fiction writers expend great effort in their research to learn “facts” that will lend some “truth” to the “lies” they tell.

One particular genre (among many) where this can be important is Science Fiction.

What I say next can easily be applied to many other genres…

Imagine a science fiction writer who wants to add science facts to their story.

They conduct research and, usually, adapt whatever they find that is given by “experts”.

One problem with this method:

“Experts” are not necessarily Experts.

Especially if that writer is using MainStream scientists—most of whom have lost the ability to use the Scientific Method and are sprinkling around a bunch of “farie dust”; Fictional Ad hoc Inventions Repeatedly Invoked in Efforts to Defend Untenable Scientific Theories. {credit to Donald Scott}

I do hope a few authors of other genres (like Crime or Historical) will share their experience in the Comments of looking for the Truth to add Steadfastness, Loyalty, Belief, and Trust to their Fiction…

Readers of news, Writers who use it as prompts for stories, and Publishers or producers should all be concerned with Truth; otherwise, they’re being either hoodwinked, misdirected, or dishonest.

Yet, finding Truth in news can be tough.

My recently-published book, Notes from An Alien, is fiction created from the angst of living through the pressures from our very real World experiencing the death and rebirth of its Ordering Principles…

News is critical to a complex and progressing society.

It’s a crying shame that so much is done to the bare facts before producers call it “news”—-political and/or corporate influences especially distorting the product.

Even some citizen-news, “straight” from phone cameras, can be prejudiced.

There may be better sources for learning to cut through the subterfuge but I’ve found Noam Chomsky a fascinating advocate for Truth in News.

There’s also a member-supported effort called The Real News that produces many eye-opening videos.

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